Tiger Temptress
by Runaway Rory
Summary: Marco has been working himself to the bone to protect what was left of his family after the old man died. Ace and his girl, Rory, worry for their friend's health and send him off on a little vacation. Things don't quite go as planned, though. When he meets a shady woman, he gets caught up in her problems.
1. Chapter 1

_**Note: Just to clear things up beforehand: This takes place after the war between the world government and Whitebeard. Ace is alive in this story, due to events from a previous fanfic I wrote called "Love Like Fire". In a way this is sort of like a continuation, but it can be read on its own.**_

* * *

It was a relatively quiet night. The moon was bright, and all the stars were visible. The sea was calm, with the gentle waves rocking the ship in just the right way to lull the crew to sleep. A couple of sentries were posted to guard what was left of the Whitebeard crew, but there was no foreseeable danger on the horizon.

However, despite the perfect sleeping conditions, there were two people sneaking about on the ship. They made their way toward the captain's private quarters, quiet as can be.

"Ace, hand over the key!" a female voice hissed.

"Are you sure you won't get caught?" the devil fruit user asked.

"I've been called a ghost for a reason! I'll be fine." replied his companion. "Now, key." she held out her hand.

"Alright, alright...Just be careful, babe."

The girl unlocked the door, leaving Ace to be the look out. She paused once she stepped inside, letting her eyes adjust to the gloomy light provided by a single lit candle. She looked around the room, making note of how messy it was. She sympathized with Marco. After the old man went and died, the crew had so much to handle on their own. It's not surprising that the phoenix didn't have time to tidy up.

Quietly, the girl crept toward the source of the candle-light. She tucked a strand of her white hair behind her ear and started gathering up the small stack of reports on the desk.

She glanced at the phoenix, former first-mate to Whitebeard himself. Now he was the captain of what was left of the crew. At present, he was laid out on his bed, and by the looks of it he accidentally fell asleep while looking over some reports. The young woman sighed and carefully picked up the slips of paper scattered about the sheets. "You really have been working yourself too hard..." she whispered.

After getting what she came for, she blew out the candle and exited the room.

* * *

Marco opened his eyes with a start. Something felt different. He sat up and sleepily looked around his room. At first glance nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, but he soon noticed that his reports were gone. That wasn't all. The lighting in the room was too bright. It must have been late morning, judging by the light that came through the porthole. How long had he slept in?

The phoenix got up and hastily exited his room. He vaguely noticed the door had been unlocked, and he was sure he had locked it the night before. When he stepped out onto the deck, he was faced with a busy crew who appeared to have been given their jobs for the day. "What's going on...?" he wondered aloud.

"Hey Marco!"

The captain turned and looked at his first mate. "Ace, what's going on?"

"We're giving you a day off, that's what." Fire Fist replied. "You work too hard."

"A day off? I can't afford a day off with all the stuff I have to do around here—"

"We can handle it for a day! Two days even!" Ace cut him off. "C'mon, how long has it been since you had any time to relax?"

"Is there a problem here?" The men turned their heads to look at the blue eyed wonder who came up with this plan in the first place. She moved to stand next to Ace, looking pointedly at her captain.

"Yeah, Marco doesn't want to use his vacation time." Ace answered.

"Well that's not good."

"Rory, I can't take time off." Marco sighed.

"Yes you can! Look, I know feel responsible for all of us, but we can take care of things for a little while! We can go a day without you, trust me." said the girl.

"But—"

"No buts!"

"What exactly am I supposed to do?" asked the phoenix.

"There's an island about a mile from here in that direction. Its not that far away, so if we absolutely need you—which I doubt we will—we'll come get you." Rory began pushing Marco toward the edge of the ship. "Get a hotel room and sleep for a day, go drinking, gamble, find a hooker, it doesn't matter! Just find _something_ to do and stay away for a day. Hell, stay away for a couple of days if you need to. Just don't come back until you're in tiptop condition!"

Marco was momentarily speechless, and then addressed Ace. "Can't you control your girlfriend?" he asked.

"Not if I have any hope of sleeping comfortably tonight..." the fire man replied.

Rory rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up..." she muttered. "Just go already. We got this covered."

Marco sighed and gave up. If Rory wanted something, she usually got it by means of shear determination. "Okay, okay, I'm out of here..." He cast one final hesitant glance at his best friends and then shifted to his phoenix form. For the first time since the old man's death, he left his crew to fend for themselves.

* * *

It was a pretty laid back island, the kind where travelers would stop to relax and get their energy back. It made Marco wonder if Ace and Rory had chosen this place specifically. It would make senses if they did. He stepped into a bar and looked around. It wasn't a particularly high class place, but it was kept pretty well in order. It gave off a homey vibe that made the phoenix feel a little more at ease just standing in there.

As he headed for the stools at the bar, something made him notice a young woman sitting by herself at a table in the corner. She looked to be in her late twenties at most. She had long red-orange hair that went all the way past her hips. She wore a navy blue trench coat, black skinny jeans and knee high boots. Marco would admit that she wasn't unattractive, but he paid no attention to her otherwise. At least not for the moment. Anything could happen once he had a few drinks in him. However he wasn't hoping for anything. In truth he was much too preoccupied with thoughts regarding his crew.

The woman, on the other hand, discreetly kept her eyes on the phoenix. She knew he was, having seen his wanted poster before and of course she watched the broadcast of the war. She had no interest in his background though. There was something else she was after, and if she had any say in it, Marco would be her next victim.


	2. Chapter 2

Marco downed his third bottle of sake. It took the edge off of some of his stress, and gradually he grew to appreciate his friends' insistence on giving him a day off. However, in addition to easing some tension in his shoulders, the sake also strengthened the ache of loss in his chest. He still couldn't quite get over his old man's death, even though it felt like a lifetime since the Marineford war. Sometimes he felt like such a child whenever he wished Whitebeard was still alive. "Wishing won't get me anywhere..." he murmured unintentionally.

From the corner of the bar, the woman who momentarily caught the pirate's attention sipped her sake thoughtfully. She spent several minutes simply observing her potential puppet, picking out subtle expressions and ticks that would help her figure out what he was feeling. She didn't quite catch what he said when he spoke to himself, but that moment told her it was about time to pounce. She deemed she had enough visual information and then decided to relocate. She moved from her spot and claimed the stool beside the phoenix. "You look like you could use someone to talk to." she said as she got comfortable.

The phoenix glanced at her quizzically. He has encountered seemingly friendly strangers before, but he wasn't quick to trust any of them. "What makes you say that?" he asked. He eyed the woman warily, unsure of what she wanted.

"Intuition, mostly." she replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "The name's Sienna." She put her best smile forward in an attempt to appeal to the pirate's good side.

_A fitting name, _Marco thought. He returned the courtesy and told her his name. "Just so we're clear," he started, "you're not an..._escort_ looking for a client, are you?"

"How rude!" Sienna said hotly. "Like I'd stoop so low as to sell my body!"

Judging by her reaction, Marco figured she was telling the truth. "It's not like I was implying anything. Just making sure." he replied. Frankly he wasn't interesting _buying_ a woman's company. He felt that it insulted his ability to charm a girl into spending a night with him.

"Fair enough." the woman said.

"Look, I'm not interested in telling a stranger about my problems." Marco stated. Something about this girl made him feel uneasy. There was just something _wrong_, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He couldn't tell if he was about to get played or if something else was going on. He didn't like it either way.

"How come? Obviously you don't talk to your friends about anything." Sienna said.

"My friends?"

"Yeah. You _do_ have friends don't you?"

Marco frowned. "Of course I do."

"But you don't talk to them about what's on your mind." the woman said. "If you did, you wouldn't be looking so down right now." she added before the pirate could disagree. "Look, you don't have to tell me what's up if you don't want to, but at least accept my company. I mean, at least let _me_ have someone to socialize with."

The phoenix felt like he wasn't really being given a choice in the matter. He decided to try and look on the bright side. While he didn't completely the feeling got from this fiery haired girl, it might be nice to have somebody to drink with. He'd still stay on his toes though. "Fine." Marco decided. "But I'm not buying your drinks."

Sienna looked amused. "Bummer." she joked. She had the bartender bring her some sake. She swiveled her stool around so that she could face the entrance and lean her back against the counter. "So, Marco, what brings you to this boring little island?" she asked casually.

"My crew picked it out for me." the phoenix replied.

"What for?"

"They're making me take a little time off."

"I see." Curiosity made Sienna want to ask what his situation was like, but she decided against it. If there was anything she wanted to know, she could find out in due time. No need to rush.

"Do you live here?" the pirate asked.

"Nah. I'm just here for a little while." the woman replied. "I don't know when I'm leaving though."

"Where are you from?"

"Here and there." she replied. She noticed the suspicious glance that the phoenix gave her, and she smiled slightly. "If you're not gonna tell me anything personal, then why should I tell you?"

Marco allowed an amused smirk to slip by. "That's fair. Are you headed anywhere in particular?"

"There aren't many places I want to go."

"But there _are_ places you want to go, right...?" he clarified.

"Maybe..." Sienna replied slowly. She glanced at the phoenix with a guarded look as she took a sip of her sake. He knew she wouldn't tell him any more than that. "Anyway... Are you just here for the day, or what?"

"I dunno." Marco replied. Rory _did_ tell him he could stay away for a couple of days. "I might stay for a day or two."

"In that case, let's team up until you leave." his companion said. "There's lots of stuff to do here, and like I said, I could use a friend." She turned to face the pirate. "What do you say?"

The phoenix looked back at the girl, somewhat unnerved by the way her crimson eyes bored into him. No, that's not right. It wasn't the way she stared at him. He just happened to notice the fact that he saw no reflection in her eyes at all. That was pretty strange. Maybe that was the source of the weird vibe he got from her. "Sounds good, I guess." he replied.

"Great!" Sienna said with a smile. Her smile faded though as she studied the pirate more closely. "You know, you look really tired." she noted.

"Yeah. I know." Marco sighed. He _felt _tired. That was why he was drinking. He'd be able to fall asleep easier if he was drunk. "Do you know a place where I can sleep?"

"I've got a room at an inn around the corner." Sienna said. When the phoenix flashed her a reluctant look, she knew what he thought she was implying. She rolled her eyes. "It's got two beds, you dirty bird." He looked relieved, and she shook her head. "Let me know when you want me to take you there."

* * *

An hour or so later, the duo began the trip to the inn that was nearby. It was barely noon, but even so Marco was looking forward to a nap. He hadn't realized just how sleep-deprived he was. He'd have to repay Ace and Rory somehow. The phoenix briefly stopped walking to look back at Sienna when he realized she wasn't beside him anymore. She had the palm of hand pressed against her forehead. "Is somethin' wrong?"

The fiery-haired woman shook her head. "No I'm fine. Just a little lightheaded. Maybe I had too much to drink." She looked up and smiled reassuringly as she started walking again. "Let's go." But the pirate didn't move, so she stopped. "Marco?"

"You're eyes..." he murmured.

"My...eyes? What about them?" she asked.

"Weren't they...?" Marco watched Sienna's deep, sea green eyes catch the light and reflect her surroundings. "Never-mind...Let's just go." He suddenly felt like he really needed some sleep. Had he been hallucinating before? Or perhaps it was the sake. Whatever it was, he hoped it would clear up after he got some much needed rest.


	3. Chapter 3

Sienna stared long and hard at her reflection. She was leaning slightly forward against the sink, intensely studying her eyes. They were the same green she always remembered them to be. Then again, there have been many times she hadn't been able to look in a mirror, such as when she wasn't quite in control of what she did. She had an idea of what Marco may have meant earlier, but she had no proof. She didn't really even know what he was going to say. She sighed and took a step back from the sink to get a better look at the rest of her body.

She was an object of envy among those of her own gender, and an object of desire among those of the opposite. Sienna was by no means "perfect", however she occasionally drew a little more than her fair share of attention. With her hourglass figure and somewhat generous curves, she has been able to manipulate many unsuspecting men into doing things they might not have wanted to do. She didn't really like doing it, but she didn't have much of a choice.

Sienna stepped out of the bathroom, turning of the light in the process. She glanced at the infamous phoenix who was splayed out on the bed near the window. She felt sorry for him. Not only was he obviously stressed out on a daily basis, but he had the terrible misfortune of meeting _her_ on what was supposed to be his vacation. "I don't know what god you pissed off, but he's definitely working against you, buddy..." she murmured. The fiery haired girl turned on her heel and headed out the door to the room.

Not two seconds after she stepped out, she heard a voice filled with cheerful malice. "The boss wants ta see ya, Carrot-top!" Sienna looked up toward the roof of the hotel, frowning when she spotted her "co-worker". He was lean yet muscular man with sun-tanned skin and dark brown hair. He often wore an open, black vest with no shirt underneath and baggy dark blue jeans with combat boots. He was seldom seen without the dagger he was currently twirling with his fingers.

"I already know." the woman replied. "And I'm on my way. Now get away from me before I decide to rip you to shreds."

A hearty chuckle followed her comment as she began walking away. "What a feisty thing!" the man replied. "No wonder the boss likes ya!"

"Yeah, well, if he asks then you can tell him the feeling _isn't_ mutual."

* * *

Marco groggily lifted his head slightly and looked around, searching for a clock. When he spotted one, he was a little surprised. He had slept for a good six hours. He guessed that it was nearing sunset, judging by the light that filtered through the window. When he heard the door open, he looked over and saw Sienna come in.

"Did you just wake up? That must have been one long nap..." she noted.

"Where were you?" the pirate asked casually. He sat up and stretched, feeling refreshed. A good long sleep seemed to be just what he needed.

"Working."

"I thought you didn't live here."

"I don't. But, I_ do_ need money for whenever I decide to leave this island." she replied. Marco looked at her closely, particularly at her eyes. They were sea green, just like they were on the walk to this inn earlier. "So, Marco, you hungry? 'Cause I picked up some food." She let a small grocery bag drop onto the small table near the front door. "Sorry, it's mostly just fruit in there..." She headed to her bed just as the pirate got up to retrieve the bag.

"Thanks." he said halfheartedly. He was grateful that she had brought him something to eat, but he was still wary about her intentions. People seldom befriended a random stranger out of the blue unless they wanted something. But what could Sienna want? He didn't have anything of particular value, except the bounty on his head, perhaps. No. If that were what she was after, she would have made her move while he was asleep. He pretty much left himself wide open and she didn't do anything.

Sienna stretched out on her bed with one arm behind her head and the other resting on her midsection. She watched Marco's body language closely. She remembered that he had seemed unusually uncomfortable with her presence at the bar, but now it looked like that form of unease had left him. He was still wary, which was understandable, but he was more relaxed. Sienna deemed it was a good thing. That is until she felt a dull ache in her head. "Not again..." she whispered to herself. She pressed her palm into her forehead and let her eyelids slide shut.

Marco suddenly felt the bad vibe from earlier. He hadn't really noticed it was gone until just then. He turned to look at Sienna suspiciously. When her eyes fluttered open he grew even more uncomfortable. They were that dull crimson again. So he _hadn't_ imagined it earlier... He thought he should point it out. "Do you know that your eyes change color...?"

Sienna quickly sat up. "They what?" Before the pirate could respond, she had dashed into the bathroom. She looked into the mirror, freezing upon seeing her reflection. Sure enough, her eyes were red, and noted the fact that they didn't reflect anything at all. "Does that always happen when...?" she trailed off, looking slightly annoyed. That expression disappeared, however, when she suddenly got another headache. Her hands flew to her head, offering very little relief. When she looked at her reflection again, her eyes had gone back to normal, but not before foreign thoughts flashed through her mind. She cursed.

"Something wrong?" Marco asked suspiciously from the doorway. He was thoroughly weirded out. He had no idea what was up with this girl.

"Nothing..." Sienna murmured. "I gotta go." She tried walking past Marco, only to be stopped when the pirate caught her upper arm. She instinctively tried to jerk out of his grasp, but he held firm. Sienna suddenly became very aware of the difference in strength between herself and the phoenix.

"What exactly are you up to?" Marco asked.

"I can't say." the fiery woman replied. When he didn't let go, she sighed. "Look, if you don't want to get wrapped up in this, then just leave! No one's stopping you."

Marco slowly released her. "Somehow its feels like I'm already a part of it, whatever it is." Sienna looked at him for a long moment and then sighed.

"But you can still get out of it." With that final comment, she turned on her heel and headed out the door.

Marco suddenly had more questions. He knew he shouldn't associate with her. It would mean bad news for him, no doubt. At the same time, though, he wanted to know why she was letting him off so easy. Usually targets aren't allowed to escape. He also got the feeling that she herself was in a bind. As much as he didn't need anymore trouble, Marco decided to look into the matter. He wanted to know just why he was targeted. But mostly he wanted to sate his own curiosity.


	4. Chapter 4

Sienna warily stepped into the abandoned apartment, resisting the urge to turn and leave. That wouldn't help her out of her current predicament. The boss had never really raised his hand against her or anyone else under his control, but there has always been an underlying fear during the times when he was in one of his moods. Sienna made her way up the creaky stairwell that lead to the second floor. She took a deep breath and stepped into the well lit room where her employer was pacing back and forth, with several of his other followers standing near the walls. "Alright, Boss. I'm here."

The man was on her in a flash, leering at her with dark crimson eyes. He gripped the collar of her trench coat. "Did know about the eye thing?" he asked.

"No way. If I did, you would've known." Sienna replied, narrowing her eyes at the man. "It's not like I can keep secrets when you can see into my head, Jett."

Jett stared at her long and hard before he finally released her. "That's right. That's absolutely right..." he said to himself. He seemed to relax slightly, though he started pacing again. "I didn't know that happened..." he muttered thoughtfully. He ran his fingers through his black hair. "Things might get difficult if people start noticing the eyes..." He cast an accusatory glance at Sienna. "Also some of my little worker bees might see this flaw as a chance to escape."

Sienna allowed a humorless smile to grace her lips. He was referring to her, and he wasn't wrong. She always made it painfully obvious that she disliked working for him.

"Oh well." Jett took a seat on the sofa in the middle of the room. "I guess there won't be any mind-visiting until I get this sorted out." he decided. He didn't look too happy about it, but he didn't really let it bother him, either. "But don't think this means you don't have to work, my little tigress."

"Ah, I knew it. It was too good to be true." Sienna sighed dramatically.

Jett ignored her. "Keep working with the phoenix." he said.

"You've got to be kidding...I told you earlier, there's no way I can recruit someone like that. This is way out of my league!" the fiery girl stated.

"Oh, just work those oh so _heavenly_ charms of yours! You've done it before."

"My acting doesn't work when the target is onto me. Especially not this one." Sienna replied.

"Well, if that doesn't work, we've always the old fashioned way of doing things. A little thing called 'force'." said the red eyed man.

"...I don't know if you're tiny brain can remember as far back as _a year ago_," she ignored her boss' indignant frown, "but he used to be a Whitebeard pirate. And not just any pirate. Whitebeard's _first mate_. It's a damn miracle he even agreed to come with me in the first place. I can only imagine he must have been delirious with exhaustion. Or something along those lines."

"You underestimate our strength, little tigress."

"Or maybe you're the one _over_estimating your strategy." she retorted.

Jett shrugged and sat back, crossing his legs. "I'm sure we'll see who's right eventually." he said. "Now, try and recruit the phoenix. That's an order."

Sienna sighed and turned around, muttering, "I can't wait until this blows up in your face..." With that, she exited the building.

* * *

Marco paused his leisurely stroll to look over his shoulder. He frowned when he saw someone duck behind a group of people lingering near the entrance to a bar. It was that time of night when people started looking for some fun. He had been aware of a stalker for a while now. From what he could tell, this person didn't pose much of a threat, but it was irritating nonetheless. He considered confronting the rat hiding in the shadows, but decided against it when he spotted a familiar shade of orange appear from the opposite side of the street. She appeared to be muttering to herself.

"—and give me some impossible task. 'Oh but you've done it before! It'll be easy!' Yeah right! If it's easy, then why don't you do it yourself?!" Sienna stopped when she saw Marco. "Oh. You're still here?" she asked.

"I'm not gonna leave just because some girl told me to." the pirate replied. "Besides, I wanna know why I'm being followed all of a sudden."

"You are?" Sienna looked around as if she'd be able to spot whoever was stalking the phoenix. She couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, but she hadn't expected to. "Looks like my boss already moved into Plan B."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you won't be able to leave peacefully anymore." said the fiery haired girl. "Unless you'd be willing to go to the trouble of taking out my boss."

"...I take it that would benefit you more than me." Marco replied.

"Of course it would. I hate my boss. I want to see him lose for once."

"Well that doesn't concern me." the phoenix replied.

"I figured you'd say that...No way I can change your mind?" Sienna asked hopefully.

"Doubt it." he replied.

Sienna nodded and turned away from the pirate. "We'll see." she replied as she began walking in another direction. She had some planning to do. Planning that involved making things go _her_ way.

Marco watched the girl suspiciously. "Yeah...We'll see." he murmured. There was no one on the island capable of physically overpowering him as far as he could tell, but he kept his guard up all the same. If Sienna was as good at plotting as Rory, then she'd come up with some convoluted scheme to get him right where she wanted him, regardless of how weak she was.


	5. Chapter 5

Sienna strolled toward the shady apartment that served as the gang's base. Instead of going inside, she headed around it to the courtyard in the back. At some point, the complex may have been a pretty nice place to live in, but nowadays the yard was overrun with weeds and unkempt bushes. There was an old, empty fountain covered in creeping ivy, and there was a gazebo that was on the verge of collapse. Across the courtyard, there were various stone statues representing different creatures and objects. Some were falling apart, such as the warhorse and its valiant rider, both of whom were missing pieces. Others stood virtually unscathed, save for some minor nicks and cracks. Sienna headed toward a stone tiger, which took on a passive stance with an eternal expression of curiosity. She flicked a small beetle off of the base and then took a seat.

"Hope you don't mind if I share your space, buddy." The fiery haired girl muttered as she leaned against its flank. Now, how should she go about getting Marco to do what she wanted? She wasn't familiar enough with him well enough to know how he would react to certain situations. She didn't know the extent of his power either. She would just have to take a chance and see how it went.

After mulling over her options for a while, Sienna finally got up and went inside the apartment. She headed up to the second floor where Jett was playing some card game with a couple of his followers at a dining table. Among them was the brunette was was often the source of Sienna's annoyance. He looked up and watched her with the grin that never seemed to disappear as she sat down on the couch in the center of the room. "What are you doing back? Shouldn't you be working?" he asked tauntingly.

"I'm afraid my chance is gone." Sienna replied. "I told you I wouldn't be able to do it."

"I though you'd say that." Jett said without looking up. "And that's why I've already got my people watching him. We'll attack him when he lets his guard down."

"...You say that like it'll be that simple." Sienna said. "Your plotting ability stinks. I can't wait 'till this all goes to hell."

"Yes well, coming up with strategies is _your_ job. You'll be the one filling in the holes." Jett replied. He finally glanced at her with a smirk. "Now, tell me the weaknesses of that phoenix."

"I don't know what they are. I barely know the guy..." There was always sea-stone, but they didn't have any of that.

"Take a guess."

Sienna sighed and went quiet for a minute or so as she thought over the plan she came up with earlier. "I don't know what his weaknesses are..." she started, "...but instead of focusing on what he _can't_ do, let's take steps to counter what he_ can_ do."

"Care to elaborate, tigress?"

"Of course, Boss."

* * *

Marco stepped out of his hotel room, or rather Sienna's hotel room. He had it all to himself for the time being. Sienna never showed up again the night before. He had been planning to question the girl further, but as long as no trouble came his way he was more than willing to let it go.

Instead of dwelling on some untrustworthy woman, the phoenix headed into the town to grab a bite to eat and possibly consider returning to his crew. It has only been a day, and he knew they could take care of themselves, but he didn't want to let them fend for themselves for too long. He definitely wouldn't stay away for more than two days, but he considered staying another night.

Marco's thoughts were interrupted. He narrowed his eyes at the two male figures that stood in his path. The both more some cloth over their faces so he couldn't see any facial features, except for a scar that one of them had on his forehead, and both of them had dull red eyes. One of them dressed in blue and the other in red so he'd be able to tell them apart at least. The both had swords hanging at their hips, which they drew and pointed at Marco. In a flash they lunged at him. He dodged easily, ducking and sidestepping to avoid being cut. Passerby scattered, leaving plenty of room for the little skirmish. At some point, Marco caught the blue swordsman's wrist and pulled him down as he raised his knee. The wind was knocked out of him as the limb slammed into his gut and he slumped to the ground.

However, in Marco's momentary distraction while taking out the first enemy, a chain wrapped around his forearm. The red swordsman had a firm grip on the other end of the chain, but considering who his opponent was, that turned out to be a bad thing. Marco gripped the chain and pulled it towards him, causing his opponent to stumble forward. The phoenix quickly grabbed his wrist and twisted it to make the red swordsman drop his weapon before he could recover. He proceeded to knock the defenseless enemy out.

Marco released a sigh as he looked over the beaten opponents. He rolled his shoulders, finding his muscled had loosened a little. It might have been an annoying encounter, but he did blow off some steam. However that didn't change the fact that he was slightly irritated. He had decided earlier that he'd let Sienna and her shady group be, so long as he wasn't dragged into anything. It looked as though that plan had gone out the window. Now Marco had a bit of a personal grudge against them, and wanted very much to seek them out to put them in their place.

* * *

Sienna walked down the street casually. Here and there she head bits of gossip regarding a two swordsmen who were beaten down by one phoenix. Good. That meant things were going according to plan. If things continued to go well, she'd be free of Jett's manipulation in no time. "Now, if my assumption is correct, the hawk should be hunting the mouse right about now..." she murmured to herself.

The tigress rounded a corner and stopped in her tracks when she spotted a very annoyed pirate looking around. When his gaze locked on her, he moved toward her purposefully. Sienna swiftly turned and began walking back in the direction she came. Things were definitely going the way she thought they would. Lucky for her, most pirates were pretty easy to use, whether they knew it or not. Once they got riled up, it took a while for them to settle down again, and Sienna had been counting on that.

Suddenly a hand gripped the collar of her coat and she was yanked almost off her feet. "Oh, uh, h-hey Marco..." Sienna said with a nervous smile spreading on her face. She didn't have to feign her apprehension. She really did feel a spike of fear pass through her when she looked at the phoenix. He had the power to kill her, and she knew it. She just hoped he wasn't that vengeful. "Do you...need something?"

"Are those red and blue swordsmen friends of yours?" he asked. His tone suggested he already knew the answer, so any plan Sienna had to play innocent disappeared.

"Well, I...I wouldn't call them_ friends_, but—"

"But you _do_ know them?"

The carrot-top decided honesty was the safest way to go. "Yes..." she answered. "They work for the same person I do."

"You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with them attacking me, would you?"

"What? What would give you that idea?"

"You wanted me to take out your boss. And you're tricky. It would make sense for you to have a hand in all this."

Sienna swallowed hard, she knew Marco caught it. He was pretty sharp. "Yeah, but I'm not the one who calls the shots, you know? Besides, it was his idea to go after you in the first place, so I've really only been following orders all along."

"Plotting against him is following orders?" The pirate quirked an eyebrow.

"Except that part. That...That's all me." Sienna replied.

"Hn." Marco released the girl with a slight shove. She stumbled back a step or two. "Take me to this boss of yours." He wanted to give the guy a reason not to mess with him anymore.

"Okay!" Sienna replied without a second thought. She wasn't about to say 'no' and risk moving even further into his bad side. Besides, this was more or less moving along the way she intended.


	6. Hiatus Notice

**Update: **

This story is going on hiatus for a little while. I'm really swamped with school and some personal stuff that's been going on. I apologize for any inconvenience. I really hope I can put out more chapters soon! Sit tight folks! I'll get back to this eventually, I promise!


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